Bullies leave plank of wood nailed to 9-year-old boy’s head

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MANSFIELD, England – A mother in England says a group of bullies threw a wooden plank with a nail in it at her son, who has autism.

According to the Daily Mail, as 9-year-old Romeo Smith was trying to get away from the bullies, they threw the plank with a nail sticking out of it at him. The nail embedded in the back of the boy’s skull.

“As Romeo was walking away one of the lads came running up behind him and threw a bit of wood with a nail in it,” the boy’s father, Craig Smith, told the BBC. “I saw it just stuck there, in the back of his head, and then Romeo started screaming and running towards me.”

The boy was rushed to the hospital where doctors gave him morphine and removed the nail, that bent when it hit his skull, his mother said.

Doctors also gave Romeo antibiotics because the nail was dirty.

Remarkably, the 9-year-old appears to already be on his way to a full recovery, according to the Daily Mail. His mother, however, said she’s concerned about the long term effects of the attack on her son.

Nottinghamshire police continue to investigate, but said they may pursue “restorative justice” rather than criminal charges.

“In cases such as this, where genuine remorse is shown and there is an understanding of the consequences of their actions, we try to mediate between both parties to avoid progressing down the criminal justice route,” police said in a statement obtained by the BBC.